Gingrich shoots for the Moon!

MacIver · #1 by **MacIver** » Jan 26, 2012 8:05 pm

Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich is wooing Florida voters by calling for a bold new frontier in space travel - including a manned colony on the moon.

Do you remember where you were the day Newt Gingrich called for an actual American state, on the moon? He'd certainly like you to treasure the moment.

"I want you to help me in Florida and across the country, so you can someday say you were there the day it was announced that we'd have commercial space, moon colony, and moving towards Mars," he declared - promising a permanent lunar base by the end of his second term.

Newt certainly likes a big idea. And space could well be a red hot Republican issue right now - what with Barack Obama having cancelled Bush's moon landing scheme back in 2010, and presiding over the end of the shuttle programme.

And to be fair to Gingrich, he has taken a keen interest in the cosmos for decades, inside and outside of Congress. Six years ago he told the Space Review he'd first become interested during the Sputnik era - admitting that he "began reading Missiles and Rockets magazine when I was in the 8th grade." From teenager to wannabe space cadet: now we know where the idea of that moon colony was first born.

Article.

Weaver · #2 by **Weaver** » Jan 26, 2012 8:10 pm

He's deluded if he really thinks we could have a permanently manned lunar base within only 8 years.

Of course, this is mostly about trying to excite a limited demographic, not a real campaign and Presidential goal - but still, it's not even a reasonable promise.

Tbickle · #3 by **Tbickle** » Jan 26, 2012 8:13 pm

"I want you to help me in Florida and across the country, so you can someday say you were there the day it was announced that we'd have commercial space, moon colony, and moving towards Mars," he declared - promising a permanent lunar base by the end of his second term.

"Commercial" being the imperative word here. How does one, as President of the United States lay out a program for a commercial business to own and operate a moon base with available transportation?

And to be fair to Gingrich, he has taken a keen interest in the cosmos for decades,

Yes, but I guess that interest only goes so far. Once we start talking about physics and science, the conversation gets a little too elitest for him.

Tbickle · #4 by **Tbickle** » Jan 26, 2012 8:14 pm

Weaver wrote:He's deluded if he really thinks we could have a permanently manned lunar base within only 8 years.

Of course, this is mostly about trying to excite a limited demographic, not a real campaign and Presidential goal - but still, it's not even a reasonable promise.

Sure, but the people he's targeting with this BS probably know even less then him, which is a scary proposition.

les5f · #5 by **les5f** » Jan 26, 2012 8:26 pm

Oh dear

Acetone · #6 by **Acetone** » Jan 26, 2012 8:27 pm

I don't think that this promise is reasonable by any stretch of the imagination but I do think that space exploration/sciences need to be... looked at in positive light again.

So IMO this is still good, throwing space into the 'prime light'.

Blackadder · #7 by **Blackadder** » Jan 26, 2012 8:30 pm

I misread the title of the thread and thought it was about Gingrich being shot towards the moon. Which is an excellent idea.

Ironclad · #8 by **Ironclad** » Jan 26, 2012 8:31 pm

I'll go, someone in Merikah tell him for me, please.

And a Happy Birthday, Acetone. :cheers:

willhud9 · #9 by **willhud9** » Jan 26, 2012 8:40 pm

Is this the same Gingrich who denies man-caused climate change and he's talking about scientific achievements? :crazy:

Tbickle · **#10** by **Tbickle** » Jan 26, 2012 8:42 pm

willhud9 wrote:Is this the same Gingrich who denies man-caused climate change and he's talking about scientific achievements?

Maybe if we all just pray really hard, a fully functioning moon base that can sustain human life will just magically appear!

Acetone · **#11** by **Acetone** » Jan 26, 2012 8:57 pm

Ironclad wrote:I'll go, someone in Merikah tell him for me, please.

And a Happy Birthday, Acetone.

thanks

MacIver · **#12** by **MacIver** » Jan 26, 2012 9:04 pm

Tbickle wrote:
willhud9 wrote:Is this the same Gingrich who denies man-caused climate change and he's talking about scientific achievements?

Maybe if we all just pray really hard, a fully functioning moon base that can sustain human life will just magically appear!

I think space exploration is blasphemous.

If God wanted us to go to the Moon he would of made it with one gee gravity and a nitrogen/oxygen atmosphere. :snooty:

willhud9 · **#13** by **willhud9** » Jan 26, 2012 9:05 pm

MacIver wrote:
Tbickle wrote:
willhud9 wrote:Is this the same Gingrich who denies man-caused climate change and he's talking about scientific achievements?

Maybe if we all just pray really hard, a fully functioning moon base that can sustain human life will just magically appear!

I think space exploration is blasphemous.

If God wanted us to go to the Moon he would of made it with one gee gravity and a nitrogen/oxygen atmosphere.

Come now. It is a test by God. God wanted us to do the space exploration so he wouldn't have to....wait.

FACT-MAN-2 · **#14** by **FACT-MAN-2** » Jan 26, 2012 11:18 pm

Tbickle wrote:
Weaver wrote:He's deluded if he really thinks we could have a permanently manned lunar base within only 8 years.

Of course, this is mostly about trying to excite a limited demographic, not a real campaign and Presidential goal - but still, it's not even a reasonable promise.

Sure, but the people he's targeting with this BS probably know even less then him, which is a scary proposition.

No, because he's pandering to the voters who live around the Cape and work for NASA or some private contractor that's active on the Cape, nearly all of whom know a hell of a lot more about this stuff than he does.

Work at the Cape has thinned out what with Shuttle being retired so Newt's looking to win some votes by promising what amounts to more work. We'd be doing well to get men back to the moon within eight years, let alone build a permanent manned base there.

It's funny how Republicans always talk a lot about cutting budgets and reducing government expenditures, but when they're on the campaign trail they'll think it's nothing to suggest a $50 billion moon base.

The man is lying through his teeth.

These guys are beyond lame, well beyond. :yuk:

Rome Existed · **#15** by **Rome Existed** » Jan 26, 2012 11:23 pm

And half way through the next guy's first term the US will be setting up a colony in the Alpha Centauri system!

This is what happens when politicians made promises without checking the facts.

Rome Existed · **#16** by **Rome Existed** » Jan 26, 2012 11:27 pm

Republicans - Government spending is out of control!

Republicans - Vote for me and I'll increase NASA's budget by $11ty billion a year!

MacIver · **#17** by **MacIver** » Jan 26, 2012 11:42 pm

Yeah, but NASA is different. No amount of money is too much for the chance to tell Russia (and now Europe, China and India too) to go fuck themselves, look what we can do!

SafeAsMilk · **#18** by **SafeAsMilk** » Jan 27, 2012 12:02 am

FACT-MAN-2 wrote:
It's funny how Republicans always talk a lot about cutting budgets and reducing government expenditures, but when they're on the campaign trail they'll think it's nothing to suggest a $50 billion moon base.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking too :lol:

We can't have healthcare, but we can definitely colonize the moon, which will make money...how?

Rome Existed · **#19** by **Rome Existed** » Jan 27, 2012 12:24 am

SafeAsMilk wrote:
FACT-MAN-2 wrote:
It's funny how Republicans always talk a lot about cutting budgets and reducing government expenditures, but when they're on the campaign trail they'll think it's nothing to suggest a $50 billion moon base.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking too We can't have healthcare, but we can definitely colonize the moon, which will make money...how?

It's a welfare programme for Republicans who worked in industries that now have slowed down that the Shuttle is offline.

Saim · **#20** by **Saim** » Jan 27, 2012 2:33 am

Newt certainly likes a big idea. And space could well be a red hot Republican issue right now - what with Barack Obama having cancelled Bush's moon landing scheme back in 2010, and presiding over the end of the shuttle programme.

I can imagine the debate now:

Gingrich: Obama, why did you shut down Bush's moon stuff? Huh? I thought you liberals liked science!
Obama: We don't have any money dude.

Advantage Obama.